GMAT Club

Caroline Diarte Edwards Reviews

Company: Fortuna Admissions

Caroline Diarte Edwards was Director of Admissions, Marketing, and Financial Aid for the INSEAD MBA program from 2005 until 2012. She holds an MBA from INSEAD (2003), is a graduate of the University of Cambridge, and has previously worked as a management consultant for Andersen (UK, France) and as a Business Development Officer for the International Finance Corporation (Indonesia). 

Caroline’s video interview about the MBA admissions process, criteria and guidelines as well as things to avoid is among the most viewed videos on the INSEAD YouTube channel, and she has featured in many international media including the FT, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, CNN, Times of London, China Economic Review, Spiegel, and NYTimes for admission advice and insight on business school trends. 

5.0 /5 Average Rating
Based on 17 reviews
July 03, 2017
kywab

Joined: Jul 03, 2017

Posts: 0

Kudos: 0

Verified GMAT Classic score:
700 Q47 V38

Fine tuning my essays/CV + video interview prep

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I was actually recommended by a former INSEAD-er who was helped by Caroline. Before deciding on Fortuna Admission, I actually shopped around for some other consultants but figured I would get the best help from the previous admission director of INSEAD (and I only applied for one school - so the stake was quite high).

The initial call with Matt was of great help! I got a lot of useful advice on how I should improve and work on my CV before starting to talk to Caroline.

In terms of essays, my friend who was admitted to Kellogg helped me in reviewing and fine-tuning a lot of them but Caroline definitely took them to another level. For example, I had questions on how much I should elaborate on the essay ' What would you do if you were to stay in the same company and same department' and she made sure I had the right level of details but not too much.

As she didnt make any major changes on my essays, she offered to give me a 45min mock interview session on my video interviews for free and sent me materials to prepare. (very very nice of her!) It boosted my confidence before actually going through those intense 45second preparation and 60second reply sessions.

Read More

verify-zero-posts
This reviewer has not participated on GMAT Club but it is a REAL person and a REAL review. GMAT Club has verified this test-taker's identity through GMAC/Pearson Vue Score Reporting system and confirmed that this reviewer indeed took the GMAT, is unique, and has not submitted multiple reviews.
April 09, 2017
achayan90

Joined: Dec 04, 2014

Posts: 23

Kudos: 5

Self-reported Score:
710 Q47 V41
750 Q49 V44

Moving from Good to Great and getting into INSEAD

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by membership [?]

INSEAD was on my radar for over 2 years and I had referred to all available free online resources and colleagues who were INSEAD alumni while crafting my application.

However, at the end of it, about a month before the application deadline, I felt that my application lacks a certain polish, that final touch that would convince me that I had put my best foot forward.

I reached out to Matt & Caroline for the Admissions Director's Evaluation as I felt that since I had already built my application, what I needed was the final touch.

Caroline, the expert that she is and with the tremendous history that she brings to the table, was the perfect addition. She was able to quickly and efficiently point out some of the holes in my application with suggestions on how to fill them.

Caroline always responded quickly and I felt I was getting her full attention. I often asked her opinion to break ties among the different options I had to put into my essays while sticking to the recommended word limit. Her vast experience as an Admissions Officer at INSEAD shone through and she was able to guide me to craft my application and bring more clarity to the essays.

I would definitely recommend Caroline's help if you're building out your INSEAD application to give it that final touch.

Read More

April 06, 2017
violining

Joined: Jun 15, 2014

Posts: 1

Kudos: 5

Self-reported Score:

No Better Advisor For INSEAD Than Caroline

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by membership [?]

I shopped thoroughly for consulting services before deciding on Fortuna to help finalize my INSEAD essays. You really can't get a better dream team than this group with Matt Symonds (who's built his career around the MBA industry and knows it inside-out) and Caroline Diarte Edwards (former Director of Admissions at INSEAD).

The screening process was professional and exceeded my expectations. My conversation with Matt was very encouraging. I also appreciated the peace of mind during this stressful period knowing the track record that Fortuna had established with successful INSEAD candidates.

I thought I was already in a pretty good place with my written essays, but Caroline really made a difference by providing detailed feedback and teasing out the qualities that made me stand out as an applicant. She was tireless with the iterations up till the day before the R1 deadline. It was truly exceptional to have such a dedicated advisor.

I was eventually admitted into INSEAD and even received a generous scholarship. Can't be more thankful for a smooth process and successful result.

Read More

March 08, 2017
elmoashgar

Joined: Feb 25, 2014

Posts: 0

Kudos: 5

Make your dream school come true!

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by membership [?]

I got accepted in INSEAD and LBS, and I am beyond excited.

With an average GPA, and over 30 years of age, most admission consultants considered me an “unfavorable” MBA candidate. However, working with Caroline (Ex INSEAD admission director) and Cassandra (Ex LBS & INSEAD admission officer) helped me to capitalize on the unique aspects of my story. Both Caroline and Cassandra are proactive, details-oriented, supportive, and genuinely resourceful. I always found their feedback sessions to be exceptionally useful and practical.

My only tip for those who are considering working with an admission consultant is to look for a consultant who actually worked in the "admission" of your target school. Seriously, don't waste your time with anyone else. I have met over 10 admission consultants who are either MBA graduates from top schools, or self-claimed admission experts. Both groups told me useless stuff. You need someone who knows the admission process and can confidently show you the real tips and secrets of your target school.

Thanks Fortuna for the dedication and professionalism. You made my dream come true!

Read More

January 02, 2017
RohanJ5

Joined: Aug 23, 2015

Posts: 6

Kudos: 5

Verified GMAT Classic score:
760 Q50 V41

Strongly Recommend

REVIEWER IDENTITY VERIFIED by score report [?]

I signed up for a Comprehensive School Package covering two schools - INSEAD and Tuck. I was admitted into both.

The team at Fortuna Admissions played a significant role in helping me achieve this. My lead consultant was Caroline Diarte Edwards and Jessica Chung was my expert coach.

The first step of the program was a comprehensive strategy questionnaire, containing questions that kick started my process of self reflection. The questions guided me to think carefully about my values and key experiences, and this formed the core of all essays that I wrote.

Both Jessica and Caroline were always very quick to respond to my questions. Jessica consistently ensured that I was on course to complete my applications on time. I found the frequent conversations and brainstorming sessions with Jessica to be extremely useful in helping me pick the right experiences and personal qualities to focus on in my applications. I really liked that there was no spoon-feeding during the process, and instead the focus was always on helping me think in the right direction, therefore ensuring that my essays were completely authentic and reflected my own story.

The team was always supportive and encouraging, giving me the confidence to express myself in my application. As a result of their guidance, apart from having admits from my dream schools, I also have a better understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses, and what areas of growth I should focus on in the months leading up to my MBA.

I strongly recommend working with Fortuna Admissions for your MBA applications.

Read More


2 Older and Non-Verified Reviews for Caroline Diarte Edwards
GMAT ® is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admission Council ® (GMAC ®). GMAT Club's website has not been reviewed or endorsed by GMAC.